Michael Gerald (vocalist, bassist, founder) Dan Hobson (original founding drummer) Bill Hobson (original founding guitarist) Tom Hazelmyer (guitarist, briefly) Paul Zagoras (guitarist) Scott Giampino (drummer, ever so briefly) Erik Tunison (drummer) Jeff Ditzenberger (2nd guitar) Jack el Dorado (mastermind) production by Butch Vig, Brian Paulson and Steve Albini (at different times).
Influences
Beer, coffee, Karl Marx, Winter, Elvis, Johnny Cash, cheese curds, cheese curls, cheese puffs, cheese danish, cheese logs, cheese balls, Bob Dylan, bagpipes, zithers, tacos, kebabs, kebobs, kabobs, waffles, pancakes, biscuits, and the blind banjo player at Shakey's Pizza Parlor.
Killdozer was formed in 1983 in a shotgun shack along the railroad tracks in Madison, Wisconsin by singer-songwriter Michael Gerald, singer-songwriter Bill Hobson, and his brother and singer-songwriter Dan Hobson. Within a year they had released their debut album, "Intellectuals Are the Shoeshine Boys of the Ruling Elite," and were gaining national notoriety for their fresh sound that, along with Flipper and The Melvins, rebelled against the lack of humor and speedy tempos that were status quo in the American hardcore punk movement of the time. Killdozer's sound was a brutal, abrasive and plodding take on the dark side of life in America's heartland backed up with a dark and biting sense of humor that soon landed them on Touch and Go Records for classic mid- and late-1980s albums "Snake Boy," "Burl," "Li'l Baby Buntin'," "Twelve Point Buck," and an album of classic rock covers called "For Ladies Only."
The band was thrown into inactivity at the beginning of the '90s with the departure of guitarist Bill Hobson, but with the addition of Paul Zagoras on six string duties Killdozer returned to form in 1992. This period produced a couple fantastic of new releases on Touch and Go with 1993's "Uncompromising War on Art Under the Dictatorship of the Proletariat," 1995's "God Hears the Pleas of the Innocent" and a split EP with Alice Donut in 1996. In 1995, original drummer Dan Hobson left the band as the demands of Killdozer's frequent national and European tours didn't mesh with raising a family, and was replaced by former Die Kruezen drummer Erik Tunison. Killdozer added Jeff Ditzenberger of Madison act Powerwagon as a second guitarist and embarked on its last-ever tour, cleverly titled "Fuck You, We Quit," before breaking up.
The band reformed in its original line-up in 2006 to perform at Touch and Go Records's 25th Anniversary Fiesta in Chicago, after which audience members drunkenly chanted "Killdozer! Fuck the other bands!" Inspired by such delightful reaction, in 2008 Michael Gerald and the Brothers Hobson decided to hit the stage once more, for as long as it takes for them to get sick and tired of each other's company once again. See them in a town near you, or you will live to regret it!
one of my favorite shows was in seattle at moes mo-rockin cafe in the mid nineties. michael had a staircase of milk crates leading to the mic. we gave him a merle haggard mask. was a good night. wish they would come through southern california. i turned my 23 year old girlfriend on to little baby buntin' and she fell in love. i just wish i could find a copy of 12 point buck!
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